Road engine



F. A. saowm,

March 24, 1925.

ROAD ENGINE 4 sheeis she ea Filed Aug. 10, 1921 v WTINESSES March 24,1925. 1,531,250

F. A. BRowNE ROAD ENGINE Filed Aug. 10, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 2 Fli I;

a INVENTOR:

F. A. BROWNE ROAD ENGINE Filed Aug. 10, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORfiamK flflrowne,

A TTORNEYS.

F. A. BROWNE Rom) ENGINE Filed Aug. 10, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WITNESSES:INVENTOR:

A TTORNEYS.

roller and the traction engine.

Patented Man 24, 1925.

- {UNITED 4s lsnase -PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ALBR-OWNEQYOEWAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, essrenoa TO BARBER AS- PHALTCOMPANY,'OF.PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 013' VIR- emu. v

LROAD ENGINE.

' To'al l whom it may mem- Be it known that'I, FRA'NKA'. BROW'NE, a

citizen of "the United States, residing in Wayne, in the county ofDelawareand State of Pennsylvanimhave invented eertam'new and usefulImprovements in Road Engines,

My inventlonrelates to road engines,'= and the like, of theclasstypified by the steam tion is concerned with propelling andsteering'mechanismsuitable for vehicles of this class, as Well as theirgeneralconstruction. I ainr to make the engine powerful and rugged indesign and construction; and convenient, reliable,"and flexible inoperation. How these and other I advantages can be obtained inconnectionwith my" invention will appear from thedesfcriptionhereinafter of the best embodiment of said invention at present known tome.

In thedrawings, Fig. Ii's a side elevation of asteam roller constructedina-ccordance withniy 'il'ivention. I

'Fig. II is a plan-view'of the steam roller shown in "Fig. Lwithvariouspa'rts in horizontal section and other parts being omitted toavoid confusion.

Fig. III is aside elevation on a larger scale than Figs. I and II,illustrating) the mounting of the driving engine.

Fig/IV is a rear view corresponding to FigJIII, certain partsteingbrokenaway or omitted forthe vsake of clearness ofillus tration;

As here illustrated;thesteam-roller road engine comprises a boX=likefore and aft frame structure 10 that carriestheupright steam boiler andfurnace 11 and the driving engine 12; 'a'front steering truck 1410011-sisting of a broad roller l5jmounted on trunnions 16 in a yoke frame:Which has a vertical trunnion l8 journalled in a bracket 19 attached tothe front end of the frame and a pair of Wheels 20 (of greater diameterand narrower individual tread than "the roller 15) mounted at oppositesides of'the frame 10. On the upper end of the steering truck trunnion18 is keyed a, gear sector 21 that meshes with a pinion 22 keyed, on theupper end of a short; upright shaft23 journalled in thebraeket 19. Onthe lower end of the shaft 23 is fixed a worm wheel 24 The inv'encanturn the truck '14 e ther way so as to that meshes with a worm25 fixedon a short "transverse steering shaft 26 which 1S also journalled, inthe bracket structure 19. By

turning "the steering shaft :26 one way or the other hereinafterdescribed) the truck 14 may be turned or swung elther way for thepurpose ofsteering the road engine. Moreover, the pitch of the worm 25is such as to make the steering connections irreversible andself-lockingg i. e., no external force acting on the roller 15 (due tothe roughness of the ground travelled over, for example) alter thecourse of the road engine.

Still referring to Figs. I and II, it will be P seei'i that the mainframe 10 comprises fore and aft sidewalls or girders 30 and 31, unitedat their forward ends by the bracket 19 (Whose rear corner flanges areriveted to them), and at their rear ends by the side- 'ta nk orbin andcab-floor structure 34, which is secured to them by upright angle-barclips 35, as well as by the forward ends of fore and aftchannel-bars 36that help to secure the floor to the tanks. The sides 30 and 31 are alsoconnected and braced together by fiange'ended shaft-housings 3T,

- side 31 is offset inward to aiiord a gear casing'40 in this side ofthe frame. As shown,

the frame side 31 comprises forward and rear side plates 41 and 42 (thelatter e);-

tending to a point just forward of the shaft housing 37) and anintermediate side plate 43 connecting them; and it is this intermediateside plate 43 that is set in to form the gear compartment 40. b At itsfront and rear edges, the plate 43 is united to the plates 41 and 42 byinterposed upright channel bars '44 with their flanges riveted to saicplates. The lmpairment of girder strength in this side of the frame 10resulting from this construction is compensated for (in large measure,at least) by fore and aft channel bars 46 with their rear flanges"riveted to the upper andlower edges of the plate 43, and by cornergusset-plates 47 riveted to the front flanges of the channel bars 44 and46. The channelbars 44 and '46, .it will be seen, form fore and aft andupper and lower walls for the gear compartment 40, while the plate 43forms its rear wall.

and 31 just ahead of the tank and floor structure 84, being supported bydownward facing brackets 48 riveted thereto and resting on and bolted toupward-facing brackets 49 riveted to the outer sides of the plates 30and 31. The steam engine 12 is located between the frame sides 30 and 81a little forward of the boiler 11, just about abreast of the gear-casingHow it is mounted and supported will be described hereinafter. In theforward portion of the frame 10, below the engine 12, is mounted awatertank 50 that not only affords a reserve supply for the boiler 11,but serves as adjustable ballast for securing a proper fore and .aftdistribution of weight, so as to give the roller 15 and the wheels 20their proper relative loading. This tank 50 hasa covered clean-outmanhole 51 in its top, and a drainplug 52 in its bottom.

The drive wheels 20 are overhung and separately rotatable at theprojecting ends of a transverse shaft 54 mounted in the rearmost housing37, and have driving gears 55 bolted fast to the inner sides of theirspokes, adjacent the main frame sides 30 and 31; Preferably, one drivewheel 20 is held fast to the shaft 5% by a key pin 56 in the latter,while the other wheel 20 is ordinarily left free to turn on said shaft54. Outside the frame 10, overhung on the ends of a transversecountershaft 57 in the housing 38, are pinions 58 and 59 for driving thegears and the drive wheels 20. In the gear casing 10 is a pinion 60which is fast and overhung on one end of a countershaft 61 in thehousing 39, and it is driven by the engine 12 through intermeshing gears62 and 63 fast and overhung on the projecting ends of the shaft 61 andof the engine crank 65, respectively,outside the frame 10 on theopposite side thereof from the gear casing 40. The pinion 60 meshes witha gear 66 mounted in the gear casing 410 about the countershaft 61, andthrough it drives the pinions 58 and 59, the countershaft 57, and thedrive-wheels 20.

Preferably, the drive from the gear 66 to the drive wheels 20 is not. ahard and fast,

rigid one, but allows some relative turning of the drive wheels, so asto enable the engine to take curves more readily. As shown, theconnection includes a differential gearing which comprises a bevel gear67 keyed fast on the countershaft 57, (on whose hub the gear 66 ismounted to revolve) a bevel gear 68 fast to the hub of the pinion 59,and a number of small bevel pinions 69 mounted in openings in the web ofthe gear 66. The pinion 58 is keyed fast on the shaft 57, while thepinion 59 is loose thereon; and thus these pinions and the drive wheels20 can turn 1n opposite directions about shaft 57. differential can beput out of action and the relative to one another through rotation ofthe bevel pinions 69 on their axes independently of the revolution ofgear 66 On occasion, however. the

wheels 20 constrained to turn in unison, by simply inserting a lockingpin' 70 through a hole in the hub of the loose wheel 20 into one of anumber of holes in a disc 71 keyed fast on the shaft 54 between thewheel hub and the adjacent frame side 31. 'This enables the road engineto start when stopped or stalled with one of its wheels 20 in amud-puddle, for example.

Referring, now, to Figs. III and IV as well as Figs. I and II, it willbe seen that the steam engine 12 is a duplex one with double cylinderand valvechest structure at one end of a common frame and with commoncrank shaft 65 journalled in two arms 81 at the other end of said frame.The connecting rods 82 from the piston rods of the two cylinders areattached to cranks 88 between the frame arms 81, and thesteam-distributing valve rods 84 are actuated through valve-gears ofwellknown rod type from eccentrics 85 outside said frame arms. Thereversing arms 86 of the valve gears are fast on a common shaft 87mounted in bearings on the upper sides of the frame arms 81. This shaft87 may be rocked to adjust the valve-gear to reverse the engine by meansof a reach-rod 88 connected to a crank arm 89 fast to one end of theshaft 87 and extending rearward to any convenient pointsuch as theengine cab. Steam is supplied from above to the valve-chests 80 throughbranch pipes 90 from a. common centrifugal throttle gove-rnor 91connected to a pipe 92 leading from the top of the boiler 11; and theexhaust steam is led off from the lower sides of the valve chest-s 80through a couple of pipes 93 that communicate with said valve-cheststhrough passages in a subjacent transverse header-like structure 94:whose opposite ends are bolted to the valve-chests. As shown, theexhaust pipes 93 lead to nozzles 95 in the conical hood 96 at the baseof the boiler S1110k6S1 lOl 97, so that the exhaust may be utilized toimprove the draft. The speedgovernor 91 is driven by a belt 98 from apulley on a fore and aft shaft 99 which is itself driven by bevelgearing 100 from the engine crank-shaft 65.

The forward end of the engine 12 is supported by feet 101 on theframe-arms 81 which rest on and are bolted to flanges 102 that projectforward from the shaft-housing 89, one near either end thereof. Like theothers (37 and 38), this housing 89 has end flanges 103 that bearagainst the frame sides 30 and 31 (plate 43) and are bolted or rivetedto them. Thus this end of the engine 12 is mounted and supported aboutthe cou -nter slia-ft 61,- by means embracing said shaft.- The rearend'of the engine 12 is pivotally supported from a transversechannelbeam 105 connected by bracket clips 106' between theframe sides30 and 31 (43) by meansgof a pair of upstanding lugs 107 on said beamand an inte-r .'ening lug 108, depending from thehea'der 9-1 andconnected to said lugs 105 by a fore and aft pivot pin 109. Thnstheengine: 1211sa whole has what is-virtually athree-point supportorsuspension on the main frame or chassis 10, so that no external strainswhatever are imposed on the engine structure either by the working ofthe chassis on uneven ground or bygthermal expansion" and contraction ofthe engine itself.

The steering shaft 26 can be turned to swing the steering truck 14:by'means of a fore and aft" sectional shaft 11Q, 111 connected to saidshaft 26by bevel gearing 112 and extending rearward to a steeringhandwheel 113 in the cab.. In order to relieve the; engineer of thelaborof turning the massive steering truck 14: by hand, meansareprovided for bringing the power of the engine 12 to bear for thispurpose. As shown, there isfixed on the end of the engine crankshaft-abevelgear 115 which meshes with bevel gears 116 and 117 loosely mountedon the forward shaft section 110 at opposite sides of said; gear 115,and housed in a casing 118-secured to the frame side 31 overa suitableopening therein. On the shaft 110, between the gears 116 and 117, acentrally grooved double" cone frictionclutch member 120 is splined soas to turn withsaid shaft,though,free to shift lengthwise of it. Whenthe clutch member 120 is inthe central position shown, its two conical'clutch-faces remain inidwaybetween corresponding conical clutch recessesin the adjacent sides of. ,the oppositely revolving gears-116 and: 117"without contact with either ofthem, and hence the shaft section 110remains. at rest The clutch member12O may, however, be shifted eitherway along the shaft 110 by a relatively slight, turn of the-shaftsectionv 111 one wayor the other. For. this purpose, .a bellscrank'lever 121 is pivoted on the casingllS; at122, and its forked end isprovidedjwith projections 123 engaged in thegroove' of the member 120.The other lever arm 12a. is pivoted at 125 (as w'ith'a f-pin. and .slotconnection). to a crank-arm 126 normally fast to the shaft section 111,as shown. i

For hand steering, the shaft sections 110, lll may be coupled togetherto turn as one by forcibly pushing the rear section 111 forward from theposition shown in Figs. I and II and then turningit until the frontteeth of the clutch member 127 onthe section 111 interlock with thoseofthe clutch member 128 on the forward section 110, the

forwardend ofjthe sectionlll moving and beingsupportedin the bore of themember 128. The forward shift of the clutch member 127 throws its rearteeth out of engagement with those at the forward side of the hub 12.)of the power steering cra11k-arm 126, so that subsequent turning of therear shaft section 111 does-not affect the power steering gear describedabove. The hub 129 is splined on the shaft section 111, and is kept in afixed fore and aft position (de-- rolled surface, sheet metal scraperblades 132 are pivoted in lugs at front and rear of the yoke 17. Thescraper blades 132 are pressed against the roller by a helicaltensionspring 133 connected between crank arms 134; on the ends of thepivot shafts 135 of the scrapers. For a similar purpose, the drivewheels 20 are provided with scraper blades 136 carried by leaf orflexion springs 187 which are attached to clamps 138, that can beclamped in various angular positions about studs 139 attached to theframe 10. No matter whether the engine is going ahead or is backing, oneof the scrapers will act effectively on each of the rollers and wheels15 and 20.

Over the top of the main frame 10, from the boilerll forward to thebracket 19, may be placed a plank or other cover or deck 140, for theconvenience of the crew in operating the machine, forthe protection ofthe machinery, and also for use as a con venient' platform for articlesor material to be transported,

Having thus described myinvention, I claim:

LA road engine comprising a box frame.

including forward and rear sidesections one of which is provided with arecessed intermediate portion affording a gear casing, and separatelyrotatable drive wheels at its opposite sides, a transverse countershaftin said framewith a pinion at either end thereof for. separatelyrotating said drive wheels, an engine supported in said box frame by athree-point suspension and having differential connection with i saidpinions and drive wheels, and an alternative means to lock the drivewheels together for rotation in unison.

2. A road engine. comprising a reinforced boxl frame including forwardand rear side sections one of which is interma diately recessed toafford a gear casing and separately rotatable drive wheels at itsopposite sides, a transverse countershaft journalled in said box framewith an overhung pinion at either end thereof for separately rotatingthe drive wheels, one of said pinions being fast to said countershaftand the other loose thereon, an engine mounted between the sides of saidbox frame on two opposed rigid supports and a third pivotal support witha driving Connection to the aforesaid pinion including a differentialgearing on said shaft adjacent the loose pinion having a gear fastthereto and a gear fast to the shaft, a complementary member secured onthe drive shaft and one driving wheel being provided with registerableapertures, and removable means for insertion in the registerableapertures to lock said drive shaft and driving wheel together.

3. A road engine comprising a fore and aft box frame with a gearcompartment in one side thereof and drive wheels at its opposite sides;a transverse countershaft in said frame with pinions on its oppositeends, outside said frame, for driving said drive wheels an enginebetween the sides of said frame; another transverse countershaft in saidframe; gearing operatively connecting the engine shaft to saidlattercountershaft beyond one side of said frame; and gearin in saidgear compartment, inside one of the aforesaid drive wheel pinions, foroperatively connecting said latter countershaft to that first mentionedand to said drive wheels.

4;. A road engine comprising a fore and aft box frame with a gear casingin one side thereof and separately rotatable drive Wheels at itsopposite sides having driving gears at their inner sides adjacent theframe; a transverse countershaft in said frame with overhung drivingpinions for said driving gears on its outer ends, one beyond said gearcasing loose on the shaft; an engine on said frame and a pinion driventhereby in said gear casing; and a differential drive in said gearcasing, between its inner wall and said loose pinion, including adriving gear in mesh with said enginedriven pinion and gears actuatedthereby to drive said loose pinion and said countershaft.

5. A road engine comprising a fore and aft frame with a steering truckatone end and separately rotatable drive wheels at its opposite sides; atransverse counter-shaft in said frame with means thereon for separatelydriving said drive wheels, including a differential at one side of saidframe adjacent one of them; an engine between the sides of said frame;another countershaft in said frame for driving said differential gearedto the engine shaft outside of said frame on the side thereof oppositesaid differential; and means outside said frame, on the same side assaid differential, for turning said steering truck, said means beingoperatively connected with one of the shafts last mentioned.

6. A road engine comprising a box frame including forward and rear sidesections one of which is intermediately recessed to afford a gear casingand separately rotatable drive wheels at opposed sides thereof, atransverse countershaft in said box frame with an overhum pinion ateither end thereof for separately rotating the drive wheels, one of saidpinions being fast on said countershaft and the other loose thereon, anengine mounted between the sides of said box frame on opposed rigidsupports and a third forwardly positioned fore and aft pivotal support,said engine having a driving connection to said pinion including thedifferential gearing on said shaft adjacent the loose pinion having agear fast thereto and a gear fast to the shaft, a complementary diskmember secured on the drive wheel shaft and the adjacent drive wheelbeing provided with registerable apertures, and a pin for insertionthrough the registerable apertures to lock said drive shaft and drivingwheel together.

7. A road engine comprising a box frame including forward and rear sidesections one of which is intermediately recessed to afford a gearcasing, said box frame having its forward portion isolated by partitionsto define a ballast chamber, separately rotatable drive wheels on acommon shaft at opposed sides of said box frame, a transversecountershaft in the box frame with an overhung pinion at either endthereof for separately rotating the drive wheels, one of said pinionsbeing fast on said countershaft and the other loose thereon, an enginemounted between the sides of said box frame on opposed rigid supportsand a third forwardly positioned fore and aft pivotal support, saidengine having driving connection to said pinion including thedifferential gearing on said shaft adjacent the loose pinion having thegear shaft thereto and a gear fast to the shaft, a complementary diskmember secured on the. drive wheel shaft and the adjacent drive wheeleach being provided with registerable apertures, and a pin for insertionthrough the registerable apertures to lock the drive shaft and drivingwheel together.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this fourth day of August, 1921.

FRANK A. BROWNE.

WVitnesses JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

